Time of Your Life, Part Four
is the nineteenth issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comic book series. It was written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by Karl Moline. Joss Whedon is the executive producer. Synopsis Buffy and Fray take on a powerful foe, who’s lasted hundreds of years just so she can bring down the last two Slayers.“Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8: #19 Time of Your Life”. Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved February 21, 2018. Summary In the future, Dark Willow is musing on how long she has lived and how she dislikes living through history while Buffy is chained up unconscious to a chair in Fray’s apartment. Fray asks what the plan is, telling Dark Willow that she won’t kill a slayer, no matter what Dark Willow has shown her. Willow tells Fray to keep Buffy there long enough to miss the “extraction” at midnight; she seems to want Buffy not to go back to the present. Fray tells Erin what Dark Willow showed her: that if Buffy goes back, she will “change the world”. Dark Willow has told her that Buffy going back to the present will result in changes that will mean Fray’s future will not come to pass. Buffy wakes up, confused that Willow is dark and wondering if Kennedy is alright. Before they can speak further, Harth appears with a pack of vampires, annoyed that Willow has acted without him and left him out of the plan. While Buffy tells Fray and Erin to untie her, Harth asks Willow why she told him bringing Buffy to the future would cause his world to be, but told Fray the opposite. She admits she is lying to either Fray or Harth but won’t say who. As Harth threatens to kill everyone in the room, Gunther appears, still angry after his visit from Harth and his lurks, and causes a commotion that, along with the help of Fray’s spider-monkey, frees Buffy. A fight ensues between all parties and Buffy makes her way out. In the present, Dawn, Xander and the forest creatures are preparing to battle against the demons that invaded the Castle. Xander is unsure about fighting, believing they have no chance, but Dawn tells him they have to make a stand. As the fight starts, they are outnumbered until Xander’s team of slayers appears with a group of Wiccans, who use magic to make the creatures corporeal, and easier to kill. The slayers and forest creatures start to fight against the demons. In the future, Buffy has escaped and is searching for the building where the extraction, to be caused by Willow in the present, is to appear. When she arrives, Fray is there, telling Buffy she can’t let her go, as it may cause her world to disappear. They begin to fight, watched by Dark Willow. Buffy realizes that while Fray has the upper hand as she is in her own world, she lacks what Buffy has, the memories and dreams of every battle that every Slayer has had. The fight continues with Buffy eventually gaining the upper hand. In the present, Warren and Amy are seen conferring with Twilight and a fourth, unseen figure, about the failed attack on the Castle. As the dialogue comes to a conclusion, the shadowy figure is revealed as Riley Finn, with what looks like a Twilight symbol carved onto his chest. He tells Twilight that Buffy is stuck in the past, and when she secretly met him in New York, she even got dressed up. Still in the present, a blindfolded Willow is preparing to bring Buffy back. In the future, as Buffy runs for the portal that appears, she is chased by Fray and her Mʔ. As Fray swings at her, Buffy smashes Fray’s scythe and punches her away, telling her she is sorry. Dark Willow has moved in front of the portal, blocking it. Buffy tells her she will go through her to get home, and with tears in her eyes, stabs her in the heart. Dark Willow falls away from the portal just as present-day Willow reaches forward seeking Buffy. As Fray looks on, aghast, Buffy leaves Haddyn and returns to New York where she runs to Willow, hugs her, and tells her she loves her. In the future, Fray lies alone on the rooftop, with the dead body of Dark Willow nearby. Erin arrives, telling Fray that Gunther ran Harth off and they ponder Dark Willow’s motives as they realize that their reality is safe. Continuity *In the future, Buffy argues with Willow for having gone dark, referring to the first time it happened ("Villains"), and, due to the previous cause of her girlfriend Tara Maclay’s death, asks about Kennedy. *Buffy resents Erin for having called her “Puffy”; similarly, she got angry at Spike for calling her “Betty” in episode "Superstar". *It's revealed that Riley is a double agent of the Twilight Group, commenting the secret meeting he and Buffy had in Time of Your Life, Part One. In Retreat, Part Five, it’s confirmed that he is in fact a triple agent, and always worked in Buffy’s favor (Riley: Commitment Through Distance, Virtue Through Sin). *Kennedy warns Buffy and Willow about keeping their hands off each other, as she had previously told Buffy in Time of Your Life, Part One. *Buffy kills Willow in the future; she’ll reveal this fact to Giles as soon as they are reunited (Retreat, Part One), and to Willow herself only in Retreat, Part Three (when Andrew also discovers about it). In response, Willow declares the Dark Willow of the future couldn't be herself, and, even so, she’ll work harder to prevent it. *Melaka concludes this is a good day, in contrast to Buffy’s reflection about the “bad day” in Time of Your Life, Part One, and her own in Big City Girl. *Despite unreliably, Harmony eventually narrates to the Scooby Gang the events that led Willow to take Buffy to the future, in Future Shock. Appearances Individuals *Riley Finn *Erin Fray *Harth Fray *Melaka Fray *Gates *Gunther *Alexander Harris *Kennedy *Leah *Lorelahn *Amy Madison *Warren Mears *Willow Rosenberg *Rowena *Buffy Summers *Dawn Summers *Twilight Organizations and titles *Forest Soul *Scooby Gang *Slayer *Slayer Organization *Twilight Group *Witch Species *Centaur *Demon **Cobra-faced demon *Human **Radie *Vampire Locations *Scotland **Slayer Organization command center *New York City, USA **Haddyn **Mount Walmore **Slayer Organization New York headquarters Weapons and objects *Mʔ *Raygun Death count *Unknown number of vampires, blasted by Gunther. *Unknown number of cobra-faced demons, killed by Xander, Dawn, Forest Souls, and Slayers. *Willow Rosenberg, killed by Buffy Summers (in the future). Behind the scenes Production *Georges Jeanty’s variant cover replicates the poses from a promotional picture of Buffy and Kendra, with Fray also using the same clothes as Kendra. It features as well the Chrysler Building in New York City. Distribution *An exclusive print by Karl Moline, Andy Owens, and Michelle Madsen promoting “Time of Your Life” arc was available to direct market retailers, in which a fourth of the scene was available as incentive for each issue. *'' '' was the eighth best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 74,202 sales in November 2008 at comic specialty stores.“Top 300 Comics Actual--November 2008” ICv2, December 15, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2018. Collections *"Time of Your Life" *"Season 8 Library Edition, Volume 2" *"Omnibus: Season 8, Volume 1" Pop culture references *Buffy compares Fray and herself to Scattergories game. International titles *'French:' Autre Temps, Autre Tueuse, Partie 4 (Other Time, Other Slayer, Part 4) *'German:' Jagdzeiten, Teil Vier (Hunting Times, Part Four) *'Italian:' Un Mondo Migliore, Parte 4 (A Better World, Part 4) *'Russian:' Время вашей жизни, Часть 4 (Time of Your life, Part 4) *'Spanish:' Lo Mejor de Tu Vida, Parte IV (The Best of Your Life, Part IV) *'Turkish:' Zamanın Oyunu, Kısım Dört (Game of Time, Part Four) Other *This was the last issue to be adapted into a Season Eight Motion Comic episode. *With similar pose and clothes, Georges Jeanty variant cover is referenced ten years later in Phil Noto’s cover for Future Shock. Gallery Cover artwork Darkwillfut.jpg|Jo Chen main cover B8-19-01b.jpg|Georges Jeanty variant Preview B8-19-P1.jpg B8-19-P2.jpg B8-19-P3.jpg Quotes References nl:Time of Your Life, Deel Vier Category:Buffy comics Category:Season Eight